2023 Melbourne Gift Fair 'stand'-outs recognised with new Awards Night

For the first time this year, the Australian Gift and Homewares Association (AGHA) shone the spotlight on top member exhibitors at the 2023 Melbourne Gift Fair.

The judging panel surveyed the 300+ exhibitor stands on Friday the 4th of August before selecting finalists, with five unique award winners recognised on Sunday 6th at Melbourne Public — best small, medium and large stands, most innovative stand, and best new exhibitor.

The team behind the crowned ‘Best Large Stand’, Splosh Australia, recounts the months of work behind the stand.

For months in the lead-up to the AGHA Gift Fair, the team tirelessly designed, arranged, planned and merchandised every detail of their layout. They focused on using the space creatively, leveraging design, product and graphic elements,?creating an immersive and interactive brand experience for all patrons and customers, according to Managing Director of Splosh Australia Laura Colman.

The team felt “absolute elation” when it was announced that Splosh had won, where everyone celebrated the accomplishment and took a moment to acknowledge efforts and collaboration in bringing the vision for the stand to life.

Laura said she couldn’t be more proud to work for a company that collaborates across the entire business to bring such a high-calibre event to life and that it was wonderful to see the Splosh team recognised as industry leaders.

Sustainable servingware brand, Put a Lid On It, took out Best New Stand winner, with Founder Cara Frank recalling it was an “amazing feeling” to even become a finalist in their first year attending the AGHA Fair.

Cara said the company chose to exhibit with AGHA after receiving excellent feedback from members and exhibitors. They recognised AGHA’s strong reputation and felt their products would be exposed to the right audience.

Cara said the team were even more chuffed when they found out independent judges came through their stand without their knowledge. Cara described the amazing feeling when the team found out about the win, and to be recognised for something they had worked so hard on. Cara reported the AGHA team were so supportive and happy for them, and it was a great way to start the show.

Put a Lid On It’s kitchen-style stand featured wood-like flooring, kitchen shelves including glass jars of dried food, and a collection of well-known Australian cookbooks.

Whilst their focus was always to create a simple stand highlighting their products using clean lines and effective lighting, the team also ensured current products were on one shelf, new products on another, and glass jars were on display, showcasing what recycled plastics our products are made from, Cara said it was important to demonstrate to customers how beautiful and eye-catching their products can look on their shelves, and the packaging material and shop display material they provide.

AGHA CEO, Linda Hickey said it was fantastic to celebrate members’ hard work leading up to the Fair and to encourage excellence and innovation for Fairs to come.

According to Linda, the feedback received from members on the new awards initiative has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Awards Night is considered an incredible addition to AGHA's activities and initiatives, allowing each company to celebrate their involvement and efforts.

It also created an amazing opportunity for a shared experience alongside other growing Australian wholesale businesses, so they may enjoy a great sense of pride, being part of celebrating their growth and successes together as an industry.